


Steal Your Fire Away - Part 4

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: M/M, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-03-23
Updated: 2003-03-23
Packaged: 2018-11-21 01:08:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11346825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Walter and Alex find a home and begin the reality of life together.





	Steal Your Fire Away - Part 4

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

Steal Your Fire Away - Part 4

### Steal Your Fire Away - Part 4

#### by Claire Dobbin

  


Archive: Yes - please attach the following email address when the story is being archived - DO NOT USE THE EMAIL ADDRESS POSTED TO THE LIST - Thank you :) Thank you to Bertina, and Anika for the beta. 

The Lifeboat Trilogy  
Steal Your Fire Away - Part four 

The phone conversation was short but Skinner could tell Alex was excited or pleased about something, or both. As requested he drove over to the Johnsons' where Alex waited for him outside the stable block. Alex got into the passenger seat and looked at him with an air of mystery. 

"Well?" Skinner asked. 

"Turn left on the main road. I have something to show you." 

Skinner smiled indulgently and put the car in motion. They drove about four miles before Alex said, "Here on the right." He pointed to an opening and Skinner guided the car through what had once been a set of quite impressive stone gateposts. The road beyond was rutted and overgrown and he carefully steered the Lexus along it until they reached an open gravelled area lying in front of a very run-down stone dwelling. 

Alex hopped out of the car immediately and walked backwards towards the house, a grin on his face as he watched Skinner through the windshield. The older man got out of the car slowly, a frown gathering on his face. 

"We may not need to tangle with any realtors, Walter, Ted Johnson says this property's been on the market for a couple of years and the owners are keen to sell." 

Skinner shoved his hands in his pockets and ran a critical eye over the building. 

"I can see why," he said negatively. 

"I know it looks bad, but wait till you get a good look at it and hear what's on offer." 

Alex was brimming with enthusiasm and Skinner's stomach began to knot. 

"Sure, I admit the house needs a lot of work, but it's got real potential. Come inside and see." 

He bounded up the steps to the porch and disappeared through the open front door. Skinner followed reluctantly. It was already getting dark but there was enough light remaining to see the interior layout clearly, helped, not least, by the gaping holes in the roof. A few pigeons, disturbed by his entrance fluttered noisily and found their way out through one of them. 

They were in the main room that was dominated by a big fireplace. To one side of it was a floor to ceiling window overlooking the same lake that bordered their rental property. The view was spectacular and Skinner admitted to himself that it was exactly the kind of place he'd had in mind for his retirement. The kind of place they'd talked about, after he'd spent a very long time convincing Alex that giving up the Bureau in exchange for him was no hardship. 

Jesus, what a mess, he thought, and still he continued to follow Alex through the house, and to listen to the enthusiastic commentary on just how great the property could be. They reached the back porch and stood together looking at the expanse of tranquil water. 

" ... and it's not just the house, the deal includes eight acres and Ted says it's good land. So what do you think?" 

"Alex ... " The tone the single word was delivered in said it all. 

Alex stood very still and looked into Skinner's eyes. 

"I can see why you like this place, Alex, it's got a lot going for it, but it's pretty remote and ... " he glanced up at the roof " ... Jesus, where would you start?" 

Alex looked confused. 

"Okay, so we'd have to rough it for a while ... but a month should weatherproof it and ... it's not like you'll be commuting to the city every day - " 

Skinner held up his hand to interrupt him. 

"Alex, I should have told you this straight off, but I wanted some time just to be together ... " His voice trailed off. 

"What?" 

"I've been offered a Deputy Directorship." 

Alex's eyes opened wide and he cocked his head as though he hadn't heard correctly. 

"It happened the day we got the confirmation of your release. It's been so crazy ... " 

Alex walked away and sat down heavily on the back steps. Skinner joined him and they stared out silently at the water for a little while. 

"I don't know what to say," Alex told him. 

"I felt the same way for the first day or so." 

"But you've made your decision?" 

"Yes ... provided you agree with it." 

"You want it," the younger man stated, his voice sounding flat. 

Skinner didn't need to reply. 

"I take it they know about us living together?" 

"I've made no secret of our relationship. When I handed the Director my resignation on Wednesday morning, I told him the reason, just as we discussed. That's when he made the offer." 

There was a moment of quiet, then Alex turned to him. 

"One thing's for sure, if anyone's earned it, it's you, Walter." His expression and tone of voice were warm, even if the enthusiasm was a little forced. "If you want it, then I want it. Come here." 

He pulled Walter into a bear-like hug and held on tightly. "It just caught me off balance. I never for a minute expected this ... not that I'm saying you aren't up to it ... you'll be great ... it's just that I've learned not to take things at face value ... there's usually some other agenda ... not that I think there is here ... it's just ... aw hell, Walter, you know what I mean," he babbled to an end. 

Walter laughed and returned the hug. "I know exactly what you mean. I'm as paranoid as you, but then I figured if someone out there still wants to get me ... get us ... where could we go to be safe? There's no hiding place from these people. So why bother? And I do want it, Alex. How much has surprised me. Before us, I just wanted to get out, now everything in my life is fresh again," his laughter shook them both, "including, it seems, my ambition." 

"I'm glad, Walter," Alex murmured into the ear he was nuzzling. 

"I'm going to take it one day at a time and if I get even a whiff of something not right, I'm outta there," he promised. "But you know, it could be completely above board. I am good at what I do, and Mulder thinks it's worth -" 

The body in his arms went completely rigid. 

Fuck, he thought, way to go, Walter. 

"Mulder ... ?" Alex began, pulling back to look at him. 

"Yeah, I needed another perspective on it ... " he tried for damage control and failed miserably. 

"Sure, I understand." 

It was plain he did not, and he began to ease himself out of the embrace. 

Skinner held on. 

"I didn't want this to get in the way of your coming home. I didn't want anything to spoil it." He searched the suddenly wary eyes. "That was wrong. It should have been you I talked to first. I'm sorry, Alex." 

His lover moved back into the embrace, but the tension remained. 

"Forget it, Walter," he said. "You were right to talk it over with Mulder - unlike me, he's still in the loop." 

Skinner pulled him closer, as if trying to regain something that had slipped away from him. 

"Alex," he said very quietly. "I'm not going to forget it. From now on it's you, first in everything, in every way." 

"Okay, Walter." He stood, encouraging Skinner to stand up with him. "But let's go home now. We have something else to celebrate. Deputy Director, that's like way up there. Never thought I'd have the opportunity to fuck with the top brass." 

He tried to make the tone light but it didn't work. 

Skinner trailed his hand across Alex's cheek and rested it there, his thumb tracing the full lips that were compressed in a tight line. 

"About the house - " he began. 

Alex took hold of the hand and led Skinner back through the house. 

"Don't worry about it. It was just an idea. We can look at a place like this later." 

Without a backward glance, he steered them towards the car. The light was going fast and they drove away leaving the empty house to the chill of the night and the wild creatures that roamed it. 

The drive home and the evening that followed were quiet, but there was nothing subdued between them in bed that night. It felt to Skinner as if Alex was using the sex to mark him in some way. He had initiated the lovemaking and, from the first wanton and only kiss, left the older man in no doubt as to who was calling the shots. Skinner went with it, allowing it to happen. It was as arousing as always, but it was different, with a more aggressive edge than any previous encounter, and Alex's aggression grew the closer they got to completion. Though he found the dominance exciting and relished Alex being on top, Skinner had to resist the urge to respond with equal force, so that he could give his lover what he clearly needed: to be in control. 

It left them both exhausted and Skinner feeling sore and knowing he'd have to wear a high-necked sweater the next day. When he pulled Alex close, the younger man wrapped himself limpet-like around his body, in which position he remained unmoving the rest of the night. Skinner held onto him tightly, trying to provide whatever else Alex needed though the simplicity of touch. 

In the morning things were back on an even keel and they picked up exactly where they'd left off before Alex's phone call from the Johnsons' the previous day. They showered together, lingered over breakfast and the papers and set off in plenty of time to meet with the realtor in Charlottesville. 

It wasn't until they finished looking at the third property that Skinner was able to put his finger on what constituted the Krycek approach to house viewing. Though Alex listened intently to everything the realtor had to say, asked insightful questions and maintained a poker-faced expression, his evaluation of the property happened in the first five seconds of coming through the door, and was completely instinctual. 

He'd take a deep breath, go very still to allow the vibes of the place to manifest themselves, and by the time the air was released from his lungs he'd made up his mind. 

Skinner could tell without asking that all three properties had been found wanting. Happily he was in agreement. The first was a newly-built colonial townhouse with no character and a ludicrous price tag. The second was small enough to make both of them feel claustrophobic. The third was a good solid house that unfortunately was too close to one of the busier Charlottesville intersections for comfort. 

Taking advantage of the hour-long gap before the first appointment of the afternoon, they chose to have lunch in a Cuban restaurant close by the next address on the list and settled down to enjoy the spicy food and to look through the sheaf of new prospects the realtor had given them that morning. Passing the papers back and forth, they silently sorted them into two piles, the 'discards' and the 'possibles'. 

Satisfied with his meal, Alex began pushing what remained of his ropa veija around his plate. 

"If you're going to be working in DC, maybe we should be looking for something in the city," he suggested, not looking up. 

Skinner put his fork down and took a sip of his wine. He'd thought this through carefully several months before and had decided that the city was not the place for them. The fact that he was now staying on at the Bureau only served to reinforce his other reasons: the opportunity for the fresh start they both needed, the better quality of life and the reduced chance of running into any old 'acquaintances'. 

"Yeah, I know what you mean," he said neutrally, "but I like living outside of DC. Even factoring in the commute, I think Charlottesville is a good compromise. What do you think?" 

Alex pushed his plate away. 

"The city I can live without, no problem, but shouldn't you be inside the Beltway? A Deputy Director's job involves a lot of networking, socializing ..." 

His face grew apprehensive as the significance of his own words dawned on him. 

"Christ, Walter, how are we going to do this? There is no way this can work." 

Skinner pushed away the pang of guilt that shot through him when he looked deep into the worried eyes of his lover. 

"We can make it work, Alex," he said in the most positive tone he could muster. "A Deputy Directorship is the full extent of my ambition. I'll leave the networking to Kersh and the rest of them. While I'm there I'll to do the best job I can, but at the end of the working day I'm leaving it behind. I've learned the hard way that life comes first." 

He watched Alex's face begin to lose its panicked look. 

"Then a year ... year and a half from now, I walk away on a Deputy Director's pension. I think they owe us that, Alex." 

"They sure as hell owe you that, Walter." A thin smile appeared from somewhere. "I already got a real good deal." 

"I've done pretty good out of that deal myself," Skinner agreed, an answering smile on his face. "As for the rest of it, you only have to say the word, Alex." 

He summoned up what it took to make the words genuine and watched with relief as Alex's smile broadened and became unmistakably indulgent. 

"You're not ready to sit on a porch yet, Walter. Now let's go find a house." 

Skinner stood up and leaned across the table to take a surprisingly intense kiss. Alex reciprocated until Skinner's tongue became involved then he drew back. 

"Not smart, Deputy Director," he remarked, glancing around at the two or three other tables that were occupied. 

Fortunately, the patrons seated at them were being more discreet than his lover. 

Skinner grinned as he began helping to gather up the brochures. 

"The Director himself told me that 'rank still hath its privileges'. Considering all the shit I've handled for the Bureau over the years, I intend making the most of those privileges." 

A corresponding grin appeared on Alex's face. 

"You know, I almost feel sorry for those poor folks over at the Hoover ... almost ... " he mused. "But hey, don't let that cramp your style, Walter." 

Laughing, they made their way back to the car. 

The first house they viewed after lunch was a washout. They didn't even bother looking at its upper floor. But with the last appointment of the day they struck gold. At least Alex did. Skinner could tell he really liked the house the minute he set foot in it. The living area was bright and warm, with a golden-coloured stripped-wood floor and fireplace. Beyond it, through a broad archway, was a well-proportioned dining room that led into a newly appointed kitchen, full of high tech units and appliances. 

Upstairs there were two bedrooms and a large bathroom, fitted out in classic white porcelain. The master bedroom was nothing more than average in size, but it contained a spacious dressing room that more than compensated. What was unmistakable was that everything about the house was beautifully designed and finished. Its architect had designed a home that seemed traditional, but which was full of contemporary features. Skinner knew his furniture wouldn't be out of place in it. 

From the kitchen, French doors opened out onto a raised deck area that overlooked a large back yard surrounded on all sides by dense shrubbery. The large front lawn, lying between the house and the quiet street, promised all the privacy they could want in that direction also. Standing on the quiet lot it was difficult to believe they were in the middle of a bustling, lively city. 

Skinner followed Alex around the property a second time, watching the man growing more comfortable with it by the minute. If he had been buying just for himself he would have considered it adequate and charming, but for two of them it seemed small, especially considering they'd have family visiting on a fairly regular basis. Also, its proximity to the University of Virginia campus added a premium to the price being asked for such a small house, but all that he put aside easily as he watched Alex hide his enthusiasm from the realtor. 

"Alex," Skinner called to him. 

Alex and the realtor both looked over at him. 

"Can you excuse us for a minute?" he requested. 

"Certainly," the realtor said. "I'll wait downstairs." 

Skinner nodded and waited until the woman left. 

"You like it?" he asked. 

"Yeah ... it feels ... right." 

"It's small, not much private space," Skinner noted. 

"I don't want to be private." 

"Mmm ... " Skinner murmured, looking down through the window at the big back yard. "Well, there's plenty of room to add on." 

"It's a good price for Charlottesville, especially in the university quarter," Alex pointed out. "The mortgage would be manageable." 

"Yes," Skinner agreed, knowing how important paying his way was to Alex. 

He turned back from the window and they walked back along the upstairs landing to the second bedroom. 

"It's well-designed," Alex said, opening the door to the walk-in closet. 

"A good architect," Skinner agreed again, "and a good builder." 

"Yeah, solid and ... " Alex leaned back, relaxed, against the doorpost " ... it feels like people have been happy here." 

"Uh-huh, I feel that too." Skinner looked over at his lover. "So, why don't you go make a deal?" 

Alex smiled broadly. "You got it," he said, pushing away from his resting place. 

Skinner watched him leave the room, then listened as he arranged with the realtor to meet the following day to talk figures. There was a certain unreality about the whole experience, but it didn't take away in the slightest from the feeling Skinner had of coming home. 

Six weeks later, they stood amid the chaos of combined belongings in the living room of their new home. It had been left up to Alex to handle the planning and organisation of the purchase while Skinner settled into his new job, and he'd handled it well. He'd managed to shave five thousand off the original asking price, talked their landlord into extending their rental lease until they were ready to move and kept Skinner on schedule with all the meetings needed to close the deal. 

"We did it," he observed, looking at Skinner with a surprised expression. 

"We sure did," Skinner agreed. "But we're not done, so let's move like we have a purpose." 

He handed Alex a box of CDs and pointed to the rack beside the sound system. "Alphabetical, by artist," he instructed. 

Alex hid his grin and began the task, while Skinner began unpacking books. They worked steadily, exchanging the odd comment and asking the occasional question, until late evening, stopping only for a sandwich and a beer that they ate standing in the kitchen. Sometime after eleven Skinner stuffed the last of the bubble wrap into a garbage sack and carried it out to the yard. 

Our yard, he thought with great satisfaction, Alex's and mine. He smiled to himself as he closed and locked the door of their own place for the first time. An urgent need to hold and be held by his lover overtook him and he followed the sound of activity through the quiet house to the living room where Alex was setting light to the fire. 

Skinner watched as the younger man stood up and turned slowly round to take in the finished look of the entire room. When he faced back towards the fireplace Skinner moved to stand behind him and wrapped his arms around him. 

"Now what?" Alex asked. 

"Well, I don't know about you," Skinner said, running one hand over Alex's chest and reaching down to cup his groin with the other, "but I, for one, am ready to mess about." 

"Always," Alex told him, placing his own hand over Skinner's, encouraging him to rub harder against his stirring cock. "But ... after that ... what happens?" 

The question succeeded in distracting Skinner from his pleasure. 

"What do you mean?" he asked. 

"I mean ... how does this work?" 

"You mean living together?" Skinner sought clarification. 

"Yeah." 

Skinner could sense an intense emotion in his lover's body and voice. Not quite fear, but more than anxiety. 

"We do what we've been doing for the past couple of months," Skinner explained, patiently. 

"This feels different, Walter. This feels ... real." 

Skinner leaned forward to bury his face in his lover's overlong hair, giving himself time to figure out how best to deal with Alex's first time commitment nerves. 

"Yeah, this is real. It's real and it's good and ... yeah ... it's fucking scary. I feel it too. So why don't we just concentrate on the good part?" 

"I don't want to get it wrong -" Alex began. 

"If you're looking for some kind of relationship blueprint, Alex," Skinner interrupted, "there isn't one. Humans don't come with foolproof specs like a precision machine. And I for one am damned glad we don't. We take it a day at a time, the good days and the shitty days. That's the way it works, Alex." 

"That's it?" 

"I'm hardly an expert," Skinner admitted, "but I tried living the kind of 'happy family' scenario we all carry about in our heads, and looking back on it, I should have realised that if you have to work at it as hard as I did there's something fundamentally wrong." 

"So ... we just let it happen?" 

"It's got us this far." 

"That seems ... too easy." 

"I didn't say it was going to be easy, Alex," Skinner stated firmly. 

"Fuck! Now I'm totally confused," Alex groused. 

"That's because you're over-thinking it." He took Alex's hand and moved it up and forward into the classic firing position, while his body took on the familiar stance that complimented it. Unconsciously, Alex's body mirrored the movements. "Remember the first instruction you took on the range at Quantico?" 

"Uh-huh." 

"What did you learn?" 

"Make the weapon an extension of your body. Keep the grip light. Don't narrow the target too tightly. Stay relaxed." 

"There you are," Skinner told him, bringing their hands back to pick up where he'd left off. 

"What?" Alex demanded, turning in the embrace to give Skinner the full effect of his incredulous expression. "You're comparing our relationship to firing a gun?" 

Skinner shrugged his shoulders. 

"Well, I was going to use the golf swing metaphor," he explained, "but you don't pla-" 

Alex's forward momentum brought Skinner down hard onto the couch and his weight knocked all the air out of him. 

"You bastard," Alex accused, securing his dominant position as he straddled Skinner. 

When Skinner succeeded in sucking enough air back into his lungs he started to laugh, and Alex found himself being drawn into the good humour despite his infuriation with his lover. Then as quickly as it started, the laughter ended. They remained unmoving for what seemed a long time, just watching each other's face, until Alex slowly leaned down and began a kiss that changed from tentative to demanding in the space of two heartbeats. Skinner pulled himself semi-upright and carded his hands through Alex's hair to take a firm grip on his skull, holding it at the perfect angle to access the sweet, willing mouth. 

Relaxing into the contact, Alex enjoyed the strength inherent in the way the muscles of Skinner's abdomen and thighs bunched up to maintain his awkward position. The feeling of power in the man beneath him brought him to full erection instantly, but he ignored his own needs and reached for Skinner's fly, fighting with the unco-operative button and zip and god-damned boxers until he won and the hardness he wanted was in his grasp. He stroked it urgently. Skinner moaned in desperation, but held position, his hands moulding themselves to his lover's scalp as he attempted to crawl inside Alex's mouth. 

Alex didn't fight against the crazy desire of his lover, instead he opened himself to it and, knowing no help would be forthcoming from Skinner in the practical sense, he reluctantly released his hold of his lover's cock and struggled to open his own fly. Several desperate, oxygen-deprived minutes later he succeeded and, taking himself in hand, brought their cocks together. The contact immediately drove Skinner to release his mouth and they both sucked in a needy breath. 

A long, intense look into each other's eyes and then Alex moved his hips to bring them into closer alignment. Skinner responded by taking a firm grip on Alex's shoulders and rocking his hips upward. They settled into a movement and counter-movement that provided the stimulation they needed for completion, sooner than either would have wanted, but it was irresistible and felt so right that they struggled towards it, urging each other on with moans and curses until they spilt together and collapsed down onto the couch in a tangle of sweaty limbs and clothes. 

It was many minutes before Alex gathered the strength to lift his head from its comfortable position on the leather armrest beside Skinner's. 

"Fuck ... what was that?" 

Skinner struggled with his croaky voice to answer, grateful that they'd bought a house on a lot whose size meant the neighbours were thankfully distant. 

"Whatever it was ... it was good," he murmured. "Just tell me one thing. You closed the drapes, didn't you?" 

Alex looked up and smiled. 

"Alex ...?" 

The smile broadened. 

**"ALEX."**

"Relax, Walter." 

He settled back down and stretched his legs out, getting comfortable. 

"Thank God," Skinner commented, shuffling around to give his lover an equal share of the space on the big couch. "I'd like us to make it through the first twenty-four hours without being branded as the neighbourhood perverts." 

"In that case, considering what just happened, you'd better order the drapes for the bedroom first thing tomorrow." 

Skinner eyed him fixedly. 

"Our bedroom, our drapes, Alex. That means 'we' order them." 

Alex scowled at him. 

Skinner smiled at the scowl. 

"You wanted to know what happens after this? Well, tomorrow we wake up and go buy drapes. Then we grocery shop, cook, mow the lawn, take out the garbage, hang out together, do the laundry, watch a whole lot of stuff on the sports channel, I'll bitch about the Bureau, we'll argue, piss each other off, make up, drink beer - " 

"Okay, okay," Alex interrupted, "I get the picture. You don't have to sell it so hard and, hey, I can do that stuff, even the drapes." 

"Sure you can," Skinner agreed, "but that's just the easy part. 

The scowl returned. 

"The hard part," Skinner continued, "is all the stuff we talked about in Florida. Being honest with each other, being open, respecting each other for the people we are." 

He looked away from Alex's face. 

"I haven't been so good at that, Alex, I'm sorry - " 

Alex leaned forward to kiss him thoroughly. 

"Whatever you've done," Alex said, drawing back, "it came from here." 

He put his hand over the place where Skinner's heart was beginning to beat faster. 

"I have a whole lot to learn, Walter, but I've already learned about the best part. You've shown it to me." 

He caught hold of Skinner's hand and laced their fingers together. 

"I know that whether I'm scared, or worried, or feeling good, or being a real pain in the ass, I don't even have to look up to know that you're right there sharing it with me." 

Skinner didn't trust his voice, instead he brought their interlocked hands to his lips and kissed the back of Alex's hand. 

"I've needed your strength to get me here," Alex continued. "I'm going to need it for a while longer. All this still feels like that 'through the looking glass' thing. You keep me on track, and if calling the shots is part of that, that's okay. When I'm ready for you to let go, I'll let you know." 

Walter smiled at him sheepishly. 

"Make sure I'm listening when the time comes. In a relationship I need to be hit over the head sometimes." 

Alex rolled forward to insinuate his thigh between Skinner's. 

"I can think of a few better ways of getting your attention, Walter." 

He leaned down for another kiss that evolved into a lengthy and arousing necking session. 

"Jesus ... " Skinner groaned, in a break, " ... now that's what I call a heads-up." 

"If it's worth doing ... which reminds me, I noticed your list of 'things we do' didn't contain a reference to fucking." 

"Fucking is a given, Alex," Skinner explained matter-of-factly. 

"Just checking." 

The phone rang, and they dragged themselves upright. Skinner answered it. 

"Hi, Vera," he said, grinning at the guilty look that immediately took possession of Alex's face. "Everything went well. We've made ourselves at home already." 

He watched Alex struggle back into his pants and chuckled silently. 

'Fuck you,' Alex mouthed over at him. 

"It's no problem, he's right here," Skinner spoke into the phone, "just putting the ... um ... last thing away." 

"I'll talk to you soon, Vera. Goodnight." He covered the mouthpiece and held the phone out to Alex who took it, replacing Skinner's hand with his own. 

"Every time she calls, Walter. Is this some kind of weird Mom thing?" 

"I think it has more to do with the amount of time we spend doing it than any psychic ability on your mother's part," Skinner explained, causing them both to smile in satisfaction. 

He kissed Alex's mouth lightly. 

"I'm going up for my shower." 

In the hallway he dallied a little, listening to Alex describe the events of the day to his mother, his voice eager with pride and excitement. He closed his eyes and released a sigh of contentment. It had been a good start. 

Baltimore, Maryland. 

Some weeks later. 

They turned into a broad tree-lined avenue, on either side of which were large two-storied houses, each set in a spacious garden. 

"That's Elizabeth's, the blue house on the right," Skinner said as he pulled the Lexus into the driveway behind two other cars. 

"Looks like Kenneth's here already," he added, getting out of the car. 

Alex unbuckled his seatbelt and followed him to the rear of the car. From the trunk they lifted out their bags and carried them up the drive to the porch steps. Skinner glanced over at Alex to give him a reassuring nod just as the front door opened. Elizabeth Skinner, who had reverted to her family name after her divorce, stood waiting to welcome them. 

She reminded Walter more of his mother every time he saw her, especially now that her thick, bobbed hair was sprinkled with grey. She had the soft brown eyes of all the Skinner siblings, but she was as short and compact as he and Kenneth were tall and broad. She walked forward to greet him with a hug. 

"You've put on weight, Walter," she told him affectionately. 

He smiled down at her, "That's what comes of cooking for two." 

He glanced over his shoulder at Alex standing behind him. 

"So this is Alex," Elizabeth said taking Alex's hand in both of hers. "You're very welcome." 

"Thank you," Alex replied, responding to the warm smile. 

"Well, let's go inside," she told them. "Ken's in the kitchen." 

Leaving their bags in the hall they followed Elizabeth to the back of the house and into a large kitchen. Kenneth Skinner sat at the table, reading a paper. Looking up, he set it aside and stood to greet the new arrivals, returning his brother's firm handshake. 

"Ken, this is Alex," Walter said, stepping back, unable to avoid noticing the significant look that passed between his two siblings. 

Kenneth extended his hand to Alex who shook it, saying, "It's good to finally meet you." He looked over his shoulder abruptly at Elizabeth and added, "Eh ... meet you both." 

"Relax, Alex," she told him, gently. "This weekend is for us to get to know each other. No-one's on approval here." 

"Let's sit down," Kenneth suggested. 

Alex joined them at the table while Walter hovered behind him. 

"Why don't you get us some drinks, Walter? There's iced tea in the fridge," Elizabeth requested before turning her attention fully back to Alex. 

The three of them looked at each other in awkward silence. 

"How was the drive up?" Elizabeth asked, filling the conversation void. 

"It was fine. We only made one stop. Which reminds me ... " he stood up and turned to Walter. "I need the keys." 

Skinner fished them out of his pocket, realising what Alex was talking about. He watched Alex disappear out of the kitchen before carrying the pitcher and glasses over to the table. 

"His pictures don't do him justice," Elizabeth remarked. 

Skinner bristled visibly. 

"Oh, lighten up, Walter, if he was a woman you wouldn't be offended by that comment," she told him in a no-nonsense tone of voice. "Anyway, you're not chopped liver yourself. The two of you make a handsome couple." 

Skinner didn't know how to react to that. He looked at his brother who just raised his hands defensively and offered no opinion. 

Alex's sudden return settled the matter and he walked to the table to place a large bouquet of flowers in front of Elizabeth. 

"Thank you for inviting me to your home," he said stiffly. 

The three of them hid their amusement at the obviously rehearsed words, while Elizabeth carefully picked up the flowers to smell their scent. 

"These are beautiful, Alex. That was a very kind thought. I'll put them in water." 

She moved away to the sink, but called back, "Perhaps you could help me?" 

He followed her to the sink where she took out a pair of scissors from a drawer and handed them to him before reaching up to lift a glass vase from a display shelf. 

"So, Alex," Kenneth said, "Walter tells me you worked in his section at the Bureau for a time." 

Skinner, with the eyes of a lover, noticed the faint hitch in Alex's movements caused by the innocent question. His own heart sped faster in reaction and he held his breath, waiting to see how Alex would deal with it. 

Alex looked up from his task and saw the glint of humour in Kenneth's eyes. Realising it was nothing more than an invitation to dish the dirt he glanced over at Skinner before answering. 

"Yeah, I did. I guess a lot of the new agents lived in dread of being assigned to Bullshit Detector ... er ... I mean Assistant Director Skinner's department, but personally ..." he straightened up to attention. " ... I considered it an honour and a privilege," he deadpanned. 

Hearing the pronouncement Skinner drew in a stuttering breath and managed to slosh the iced tea on the newspaper, but his brother was laughing too hard to notice, as was Elizabeth. 

Skinner ignored them and eyed Alex menacingly. 

"I know what I'm detecting now," he stated with conviction. 

"Must be on the blink, Walter," Alex assured him, "every word is true." 

That induced a first class A.D. Skinner scowl that wiped the deadpan expression from Alex's face, replacing it with a broad grin. 

"But that was just the new agents, senior agents preferred 'Jaw of Death' or 'Principal Skinner' or 'ADHD... " 

He was cut off when Walter's arm slid around him from behind in a mock chokehold. 

"That information is privileged, Agent," Walter reprimanded him. 

He was surprised when, at the tone and the use of the title, Alex's playful struggling ceased and he looked back at Skinner with a wistful expression. 

They shared one of those intense connections that come when a relationship is new and, for a moment, Skinner was no longer in Elizabeth's kitchen and wherever he was Alex was there too. A pause in two heart rhythms and Alex was leaning over to take a quick kiss. Over in a second, they parted and turned towards the two watchers, both of whom wore blank expressions. 

Skinner watched as the shock dissipated and Elizabeth and Kenneth's understanding of his relationship with Alex moved from the theoretical to the practical. 

He didn't regret the unplanned display of affection. He might play a part for strangers but he'd be damned before he'd do it for his own family. He held on to Alex, feeling the tension in his lover's body, and looked them straight in the eye. 

Kenneth looked away first, finding refuge in filling the rest of the glasses with iced tea and Elizabeth's face relaxed into a smile before she returned to her flower arranging. 

"Hey, Walt," Kenneth asked as he rolled up the wet newspaper and placed it in the garbage. "What about barbecuing tonight? First of the season for me." 

"Sure," Skinner agreed as he released Alex and joined his brother to investigate the contents of the refrigerator. 

Elizabeth placed the vase of flowers in the centre of the kitchen table and helped Alex clean up the wrappings and bits of stalk left on the counter. 

"Let's leave the hunter/gathers to it Alex," she suggested. "I'll show you where everything is and we can have a talk." 

Skinner inwardly winced at the words and noted the tight expression on Alex's face as he followed Elizabeth from the room. 

Thirty-five minutes later, without exchanging a word, they had located and cleaned up the well-used barbecue in the back of the garage. They wheeled it out onto the patio and began getting it ready for use. 

Tense because of the silence, Skinner dropped the sack of charcoal onto the tiles and dusted off his hands. 

"So, what do you think?" he asked. 

Kenneth looked up at him. 

"About?" his brother asked, a quizzical look on his face. 

Skinner's jaw tightened and he looked away. 

"Are you asking me what I think about Alex?" Kenneth asked. "Jesus, Walter, I've only known him for five minutes." 

"I just want ... it's important to me ... and to Alex ..." his voice trailed off and he turned back to his brother, allowing him to see his vulnerability in the matter. 

"I know it is, Walter, but this isn't something you can issue a directive about. You're just going to have to let it happen." He turned his attention back to the barbecue, saying, "Come on, let's get this show on the road." 

Skinner nodded, but as he walked towards the kitchen door Kenneth caught hold of his arm. 

"I want this to work out for you, Walter. Whoever you choose," for emphasis he held out his hands, palms up, "is okay by me." 

Skinner bit down on the response that leapt into his mouth. He knew the effort Kenneth was making on his behalf. In the sleepy, little farming community the Skinners called home 'gays' were classified in the same category as aliens. Kenneth, unlike Elizabeth who had lived most of her adult life in the big city, was steeped in that mindset. It was a hell of a lot to expect him to come to terms with the fact that his big brother and former marine had suddenly outed himself, without expecting him to instantly bond with said brother's lover. 

"Just give him a fair chance. That's all I ask," he requested. 

"That goes without saying, Walter," Kenneth told him with a tinge of annoyance before quoting their father's mantra: "Family first and always." 

The words made Skinner snort. 

"Much as I miss the old man, I think Dad may have been pushed to the limit on this one," he said. 

"I think you might be right there, Walter," Kenneth agreed. "But it sure would have been interesting from number two son's perspective." 

A frown line appeared across Skinner's forehead. 

"Dad didn't make differences, Ken," he said. 

"No, I didn't mean that," his brother told him. "If anything, towards the end, with me running the farm, the two of us got real close. It was good, but you should have seen the way his face would light up when he talked about, 'my boy Walter, you heard how he served in the Marine Corps? Well, he's up there in Washington now as Assistant Director with the F.B.I.'" 

Walter laughed at Kenneth's perfect mimicry of their father's voice and posture. 

"Well, in that respect I would have had better news for him. I've been promoted to Deputy Director." 

"Holy cow," Kenneth said, "that's great. Congratulations!" 

He shook his brother's hand enthusiastically, a proud grin on his face. 

"Congratulations on what?" Elizabeth asked stepping onto the patio, Alex following. 

"Walt's made Deputy Director," Kenneth explained. 

"Oh Walter," Elizabeth said, giving him a warm hug. "That's wonderful. When did it happen?" 

"A while back," Walter told her, "but it's just been ratified." 

"Ken," Elizabeth said, turning to her younger brother, "put that barbecue back in the garage, we're going out to celebrate." 

"Bethy, I don't want to make a fuss about this ... " Walter began. 

"Well, if this doesn't deserve a fuss being made, I don't know what does." She looked over at Alex standing slightly apart. "What do you think Alex?" she asked, drawing him in. 

"Sounds like a good idea to me," he said. 

"Okay then, I'm going to make a reservation. Somewhere casual but classy, and I know just the place," she told them. 

"Won't that be difficult on a Friday night?" Walter asked. 

Elizabeth smiled at him. "For an F.B.I. Deputy Director? I don't think so, Walter." 

They arrived home late from the restaurant after a pleasant enough evening, but one that left Skinner wiped out. Elizabeth had said no-one was on approval, but it felt just like that to Skinner. He knew that went tenfold for Alex, who had carefully measured every word and gesture and who was showing the strain. The need to dodge awkward questions about Alex's past and to remember exactly what information had been given and what had been withheld added to it exponentially. 

There was a final moment of embarrassment as they left to go up to bed together, but at last they were alone. Alex wrapped himself around Skinner the second the door closed, happy just to hold on. 

"God, but this feels good," Skinner whispered into his ear. 

"Mmm ... " Alex murmured. 

"Come on," Skinner said, disengaging from the embrace, "let's get some sleep." 

A few minutes later they were in bed and in each other's arms. It had been a long day, beginning before dawn when the alarm sounded to wake Alex in time for a hurried visit to the stables. An early start that Skinner had not been spared when his lover returned sooner than expected, sweaty and enthusiastic for a ride of a different kind in the comfort of their double bed. 

"You doing okay?" Skinner asked quietly. 

Alex spooned in tighter behind him. 

"Yeah," Alex said, his tone lacking full conviction. 

"You're hating this," Skinner said flatly. 

"No ... not altogether," Alex told him. "Elizabeth and Kenneth are trying real hard." 

"But?" Skinner questioned. 

"But nothing." 

"Whatever it is Alex, spit it out." 

"Don't go looking for trouble. I'm fine. I'm just saying I appreciate how tough this must be for them." 

"Not just them, if the truth be told I'm finding it kind of tough myself," Walter confessed. "How about we leave tomorrow? I can say I was called back." 

"Quitter," Alex accused. 

There was a pointed silence for several minutes before Skinner spoke. 

"You know, Alex, Bethy and Ken ... the whole family ... are important to me, but this," he pulled Alex's arm tighter around him, "this is what really matters." 

"You make it sound like either or," Alex told him. "I don't want it to be like that." 

"It won't be," Skinner said. "When you get to know them better you'll realise it would never come to that." 

"Not even if they get to know me?" Alex asked in a flat tone. 

Hiding the pain that Alex's unrelenting self-doubt caused him, he turned round into the embrace. 

"I want them to get to know you." He placed his hand on Alex's chest. "But I want them to know the person here. The man I love, not some psych evaluation or court file." 

"Not the truth?" 

"If that's what you want, if that's what it takes. Why not?" he replied, his tone very sure. "I'm proud of what you've done this past year." 

Alex leaned into him as he murmured. "God, I love you so fucking much." 

Skinner sighed contentedly. "Then show it by letting me get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep." 

"Believe me, Walter, there is no possibility of any 'interruptions' while we're here," Alex assured him. 

"Good thing we're going home earlier than scheduled then," Walter remarked hopefully, as he reached up to switch off the lamp. 

"Uh-uh, we're sticking with the original schedule," Alex said. 

"You sure?" 

"I'm sure. Now get some rest." 

Letting go, they settled down into the unfamiliar bed. Skinner, used to Alex falling asleep like a light going out, watched the display on the clock count off eleven minutes of uncharacteristic fidgeting. After fifteen minutes he'd had enough. 

"What?" he demanded. 

"Umm?" 

"What's wrong?" 

Alex flopped over onto his back. 

"You were right," he murmured. 

"Hmm?" 

"There's something I gotta say." 

"Then spit it out like I told you." 

Alex obliged him. 

"I can't be what your sister wants." 

"Huh?" 

"She wants us to be friends ... to talk about stuff ... you know ... " he explained, his voice heavy with innuendo. 

Not enough for Skinner's comprehension though. 

"What kind of ... stuff?" 

"Stuff like ... how we styled the house ... how your taste in clothes has improved ... stuff about our relationship," he mumbled, his voice tinged with irritation. 

Skinner might have found it amusing were it not for the reference to himself. Alex had no conscious part in his change of image. It had been a reaction to catching sight of them both in a store window and realising that compared to Alex's casual chic he was dressed in a way that would have appealed to his father. So, though he hadn't changed his work clothes, knowing that the classically designed and elegantly cut suits flattered him, he had been gradually dropping off the rest of his wardrobe at a thrift shop and replacing it with more 'in tune' items. 

He thought he had been subtle about it. Alex hadn't seemed to notice, but Elizabeth had, and now she'd brought it to Alex's attention. 

Elizabeth had a big mouth. 

He began to share Alex's irritation. 

"Fuck it, Walter," Alex was continuing. "I'm a hunter/gatherer." 

Ain't that the truth, Walter thought, relieved that Alex's attention had been held by, what was for him, the bigger issue. 

"I suppose ... she has certain ... expectations," Skinner suggested. 

"Huh," Alex murmured, his irritation not diminished. 

"I'll talk to her in the morning," he promised. 

"No, Walter. I'll deal with it." 

"You sure?" 

"Yeah. I just needed to get it off my chest." 

"Okay then." 

They settled back down and for a few minutes there was quiet until, unable to resist, Skinner remarked, "You know, it's funny, but Olga never wanted to be my 'friend'." 

Alex loomed over him in the dark. 

"Developed a taste for living dangerously, Walter?" he asked huskily. 

Skinner felt him lean across and heard the sound of a drawer being opened. 

"Huh?" 

"I'll take that as a yes." 

A second later, Alex slid like quicksilver down his body and began stripping off his boxers with the determination of a man on a mission. 

"Wait ... we can't ... no ... no ... " Skinner protested until Alex licked up the length of his cock and swirled his tongue around its head. 

"Yes ... yesss ... YES ..." Skinner babbled as Alex took him into his mouth and sucked teasingly. 

At the same time he heard the sound of lube being squirted from a bottle, followed by the first touch of cool, slicked fingers where he wanted them most. He reached out for and found Alex's pillow and pulled it down the bed. Raising up his hips he slipped the pillow below them and was rewarded when Alex used the better angle to take his stiffening cock deeper into his mouth and throat. 

He knew he was moaning. He knew it was loud. He didn't give a fuck. All he wanted was for that wonderful mouth and those wonderful fingers to keep doing what they were doing. Forever. 

"Oh ... Alex ... yeah," he encouraged, reaching down with both hands to grasp hold of Alex's hair. 

Alex withdrew his fingers and pushed Skinner's left hand away. Skinner took the hint and released his right hand also. Instead he rested it lightly on the back of Alex's bobbing head, giving up control, but maintaining contact. He heard the lube bottle being squeezed a second time. The rhythm in which Alex's mouth worked him changed and he knew his lover was getting himself ready. Anticipation rushed through him. He spread his legs wider and muttered demands, impatient for the penetration. 

He hadn't long to wait. Alex sucked strongly on his cock twice more and released it to get into position. A few quick strokes on his cock with Alex's oily hand and the preparations were complete. 

Open and willing as Skinner was, Alex's cock slid into him with an ease that only added to the pleasure and when Alex leaned forward to rest his weight on his right arm, Skinner reached up to brace his lover's left shoulder with his own strong arm. It had happened instinctively the first time and, in all the times since, when they had used this position, Skinner was aware of the non-sexual pleasure it gave Alex to be completely free of his disability for a little while and to be able to move with the balance he had known before that awful night in Tunguska. 

It also meant that it would be a good, hard fuck and he reached back to brace his other arm against the headboard. 

Solid bed ... don't make them like this anymore ... antique ... sturdy ... just as well, he thought, disjointedly, as Alex began to thrust. Then there he was, on the top of the first crest of the roller-coaster and there was nothing more needed but to feel it ... live it ... go with it ... be part of it ... 

It was a hell of a ride, Alex saw to that. Somewhere in the middle of all the grunting and groaning Skinner flashed on where he was, but instead of dampening the experience as he might have expected, it added a little frisson of pleasure. Enough, with the encouragement of his own hand, to carry him over the final crest and into the annihilation of orgasm. 

Distantly he was aware of Alex's last few powerful thrusts and the stillness when he came. He unlocked his elbow joint and allowed Alex to slump forward onto his chest, his hand tracing a soothing figure of eight up and down the sweat-streaked spine. 

"Well, I think Elizabeth may have gotten more than she bargained for this time," Skinner murmured, thoughtfully. 

He was less sanguine about Kenneth's reaction, but at least his brother was in the small guest room on the other side of the house and for the first time in his life he was ever so slightly glad about the childhood brush with measles that had robbed Kenneth of the Skinner acute hearing gene. 

He looked down at Alex. His ability to sleep on a dime at a Grateful Dead concert had kicked in and he was already snoring softly. Skinner eased him onto the mattress and went for a washcloth and towel. He cleaned them both up and slid back under the comforter, the thought of sitting down to breakfast with his siblings a less than appetizing one. 

Morning came a lot sooner than he'd have liked. He woke at about 7.30 to find Alex's sheepish gaze already on him. 

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Alex offered in mitigation. 

"Humph." 

"I'll get my shower." 

He began to sit up, but Skinner pulled him back. He took a morning kiss. 

"This is who we are," he told Alex. "I'm not ashamed. Embarrassed as hell, but not ashamed." 

Alex grinned at him, returned the kiss and headed for the bathroom. Skinner flopped back on the bed for a minute, then pulled on a fresh pair of boxers and his robe. He efficiently stripped the bed and bundled up the sheets. 

All his covert training came into play as he stole downstairs to the laundry room. The house was silent. He crossed the hallway into the kitchen. The smell of coffee and bacon filled his nose a second after he nudged the swing door open with his arm. 

"Morning, Walter," Elizabeth greeted, her eyes immediately homing in on the bundle in his arms. 

"Morning," he returned. 

"Morning, Walt," Kenneth muttered, opening his copy of the Baltimore Sun to hide behind. 

"Morning," Skinner replied with all the dignity he could muster. 

He was half way across the room when Elizabeth commented with a frustrated sigh, "I'm glad somebody in this house is getting some." 

With the words all the tension and embarrassment in the room diffused and Elizabeth found herself joining in with Walter's laughter. The Baltimore Sun stayed in place but the pages shook. 

By the time Alex came down, the laundry was in the washer and Walter was on his second cup of coffee, trading the stories of their childhood with his siblings. 

Alex joined them at the table and exchanged greetings. What had been uncomfortable the day before was suddenly easy. He wondered what had brought about the change. Eagerly he listened to the well-worn tales being retold, curious to know all about Walter as a child and a young man. A second round of breakfast was cooked and put on the table. 

They were still talking and laughing over the breakfast dishes when lunchtime rolled round. Walter looked across at Alex who was listening to Kenneth's account of their first summer camp away from home. He looked happy. 

Suddenly he became aware that he too was being watched. Elizabeth smiled at him and reached over to squeeze his forearm, a tiny nod of approval towards Alex accompanying the gesture. Walter placed his hand over hers for a few seconds before she stood up decisively. 

"It's high time these dishes were washed," she stated. "It's a beautiful day, and I for one think we should do something special with it." 

Later than they planned on Sunday afternoon Walter and Alex waved goodbye to Elizabeth and Kenneth and began the journey home. 

"It went well," Skinner said. 

"Yeah," Alex agreed. 

Nothing more needed to be said. 

Alex turned the car in the direction of I-95 South. 

**TBC**   
  

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Claire Dobbin


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